Not worth the brand price
Brand names aren’t worth it if I’m paying for extra bells and whistles that I didn’t want in the first place.
I pay for extra brand names only when the brand adds something that’s necessary to meet my requirements.
For example, I buy store brand canned foods, frozen veggies, laundry detergent, and just about anything else that isn’t important to me. I could buy Tide detergent. Tide makes a great product. But the cheapest detergent on the shelf also washes my clothes just fine. Why spend more money on Tide if a cheaper product meets my requirements? Why pay more for bells and whistles that don’t matter?
Traveling abroad has made me appreciate fresh produce. Now, I avoid buying fruits and vegetables from your standard American grocery store because the produce is neither delicious nor fresh. I usually buy produce from Trader Joe’s, (which has higher quality produce than most grocery stores but lower quality than Whole Foods). Occasionally, if I want something that isn’t available at Trader Joe’s or the quality there is subpar, I go to Whole Foods. For example, I’ll go to Whole Foods for a good mango. Other groceries stores don’t meet my requirements for a juicy, fresh, delicious mango. Hmmmm.
Delicious mangos worth the extra dollar!
Notice that I don’t go to Whole Foods for all my produce. I know that Whole Foods and farmer’s markets have the best fruits and vegetables available to me. I don’t need best. I just want food that meets my taste requirements.
To use a shopping analogy, when I want Macy’s quality produce (Trader Joes), I’m not going to Neiman Marcus (Whole Foods and farmer’s markets) for groceries.
How do you decide when to spend extra on brand names? For which items do you buy the store brand? Or always buy the brand name?
Financially Fab 